III Corps (South Vietnam)

III Corps was activated in September 1959 and controlled the country south of Phan Thiet excluding Saigon which was controlled by the Capital Military District (CMD). In 1962, President Ngô Đình Diệm decided to split the Corps into two, the former III Corps area being reduced in size to cover the area northeast of Saigon and the newly created IV Corps taking over the west and southwest.

The Fifth Division based in Bien Hoa on the northern outskirts of Saigon was a part of III Corps, and due to the division's close proximity to the capital was a key factor in the success or failure of the various coup attempts in the nation's history.

As from 7 June 1966 the CMD became a subordinate command of III Corps.

Divisions